West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday said that the state has joined the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the PM Schools for Rising India (PM-SHRI) scheme, paving the way for the release of central funds during the current financial year.
Following a meeting with Union and state officials in Kolkata, the Chief Minister outlined a series of education reforms, including improved school infrastructure, gas-based cooking for mid-day meals, phased installation of solar panels, sanitary napkin vending machines in girls’ schools, transparent teacher recruitment, and an increase in the primary-level PM POSHAN cooking cost from ₹6.78 to ₹10 per student per day with effect from August 1.
“We held a highly productive meeting today. While Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan could not attend, Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar was present along with eight senior officials from Delhi. We have officially joined the National Education Policy and the PM-SHRI scheme,” CM Adhikari said.
Referring to discussions held earlier between the Centre and the state, CM Adhikari said all outstanding issues had been resolved, enabling the release of central funds.
He criticised the previous government for failing to access central assistance, alleging that it had not complied with the Government of India’s policy requirements.
“The previous government did not avail of the funds because it failed to comply with the Government of India’s policies. Even if the Centre had wanted to release the funds, it could not have done so. All issues have now been resolved, and we will receive the entire allocation for this financial year,” he said.
Outlining the roadmap for modernising government schools, the Chief Minister said component grants would be released to nearly 81,000 schools across the state.
“Gas-based cooking will be adopted for mid-day meals across all schools, while solar panels will be installed in a phased manner. Clean and hygienic toilets, along with arsenic-free drinking water, will be provided, beginning with Birbhum, Bankura, Purulia and Jhargram districts,” he said.
CM Adhikari also announced that ceiling fans would be installed in all schools that currently lack them to provide relief to students during the summer months.
In addition, he directed the installation of sanitary napkin vending machines in girls’ schools and recommended the use of water purifiers to promote a healthier learning environment.
The Chief Minister said the government would also conduct strict inspections of private educational institutions and private universities that have been granted No Objection Certificates (NOCs).
Emphasising transparency in teacher recruitment, CM Adhikari said appointments would be made strictly on merit, free from political interference.
“We discussed maintaining complete transparency in teacher recruitment by keeping politics out of the process and ensuring appointments are based solely on merit. The reservation roster for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes will also be implemented transparently. To oversee the process, we have appointed an administrator of Chief Secretary rank,” he said.
CM Adhikari further said that the state government would withdraw the pending OBC reservation case from the Supreme Court to expedite teacher recruitment.
“The previous government created this issue by mishandling the OBC reservation policy. We have corrected that through a new law passed in the Assembly. However, since the previous government had approached the Supreme Court, the state will now formally withdraw the case. Once that happens, the remaining 6,000 teacher appointments will be completed, in addition to the 6,000 already assured,” he said.
The Chief Minister also proposed reforms in school governance by giving parents a greater role in the management of educational institutions.
“I have asked the Education Minister to amend the education law and introduce a Bill in the Assembly at the earliest so that the position of Chairperson or Vice-Chairperson of School Management Committees can be entrusted to parents. This system exists in several other states, but it had not been implemented in West Bengal,” CM Adhikari said.
(With ANI inputs)
